Spinning apparatus

ABSTRACT

A method of and apparatus for the open-end spinning of textile yarns, includes feeding fibres through a feed duct to an internal fibre collecting surface of an open-ended spinning rotor, removing spun yarn from the spinning rotor through a yarn delivery duct, and passing air continuously through the interior of the spinning rotor by means of an air passage extending through a cover member adjacent an open end of the rotor, whereby debris is removed from the interior of the rotor during the spinning operation.

United States Patent [1 1 [111 3 845 612 Chisholm et al. Nov. 5, 1974SPINNING APPARATUS 3,6 04, 94 9 1971 Edagawa 6; 57/58.89 [7 1 AnAlexander Chisholm, 'ififii "31335 Siifil'rai 11111111 133122133clltheme; Christopher Copple 3698.175 l0/l972 Dykast 57/56 Blackburn,both of England 3,739,565 6/1973 Nagel 57/56 x [73] Assignee: PlattInternational Limited,

Helmshore, Rossendalc Engiand Primary ExaminerDonald E. WatkinsAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Watson. Colo Grindlc & [22] Filed: Feb. 23,1973 Watson [21] Appl. No.2 335,097

[57] ABSTRACT [30] F i A li ti p i it D t A method of and apparatus forthe open-end spinning Feb 23 1972 Great Britain 8384/72 of textileyarns, includes feeding fibres through a feed duct to an internal fibrecollecting surface of an open- 52 US. Cl. 57/56 57/58 89 ended Spinningrotor removing Yam the 51 Int. Cl Dim. 11/00 Spinning rotor thmugh a Yamdelivery duct and Pass [58] Field of Search 57/56 58 89 ing aircontinuously through the interior of the spinning rotor by means of anair passage extending [56] References Cited through a cover memberadjacent an open end of the rotor, whereby debris is removed from theinterior of UNITED STATES PATENTS the rotor during the spinningoperation. 3,524,312 8/1970 Landwehrkamp et al. 57/56 3,597,911 8/l97lSchiltknecht 57/56 9 Clams, 2 Drawing Flgures 25 w 6 I; p 126 I\\ i/'I.9

i 1 J? 2 :9 2 l 3 SPINNING APPARATUS The present invention relates tothe spinning of yarns from textile fibres, and more particularly to theopen end spinning of yarns.

In an open-end spinning apparatus hitherto proposed, textile fibres areconveyed in an airstream through a fibre feed duct into a spinning rotorto collect on an internal fibre collecting surface of the rotor fromwhich they are picked up by a tail end of a yarn which is continuouslyformed thereby and which is withdrawn from the rotor through a yarndelivery duct. The rotor is open at one end and adjacent this open endis a stationary closure member. The rotor is contained in a chamber andairstream is created in the fibre feed duct for feeding fibres either bysubjecting the chamber to suction which causes air to exhaust from thechamber through a port in the chamber wall or by providing apertures inthe rotor wall.

The formation of satisfactory yarn depends to some extent upon thecondition of the internal fibre collecting surface of the rotor wherethe fibres collect under the influence of the considerable centrifugalforce exerted on them by rotation of the spinning rotor. Fibres enteringthe spinning chamber appear to liberate debris during the spinningoperation and some of this debris. is accumulated on the fibrecollecting surface. This leads to deterioration in, and may result inthe eventual breakdown of, the spinning process. It will be appreciatedthat this situation involves constantmaintenance in order to ensure thatthe inside of the spinning rotor is kept as clean as practicable Anobject of the invention is to provide a method of and apparatus for theopen-end spinning of textile yarns in which the aforementioneddisadvantages associated with debris deposition within the rotor arereduced.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a methodof open-end spinning textile yarns comprising feeding fibres to aninternal fibre collecting surface of a spinning rotor, removing spunyarn from said spinning rotor through a yarn delivery duct, and passingair continuously through the interior of the spinning rotor by means ofanair passage extending through a cover member adjacent an open end ofthe rotor, whereby to remove debris from the interior of the rotorduring the spinning operation.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is providedapparatus for the open-end spinning of textile yarns comprising aspinning rotor which is open at one end and which is provided with aninternal fibre collecting surface, a cover member adjacent said open endof the rotor, a fibre feed duct through which, in use, fibres areconveyed to said fibre collecting surface, a yarn delivery duct throughwhich, in use, spun yarn is removed from the spinning rotor, and an airpassage extending through the cover and so arranged to pass aircontinuously through the interior of the spinning rotor during thespinning operation that debris is removed from the interior of thespinning rotor by said air.

The following is a more detailed description of two embodiments of theinvention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanydrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section through a spinning assembly according to afirst embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through a spinning assembly according to asecond embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a chamber 1 is closed by a closure member 2 whichhas a cylindrical depending portion 3 terminating within the open end ofa spinning rotor 4 arranged for rotation within the chamber 1. Thespinning rotor 4 is mounted on a drive shaft 5 suitably connected todrive means (not shown).

The spinning rotor 4 has an upstanding wall 6 which converges slightlytowards the open end of the rotor 4 and a fibre collecting groove 7 atthe region of maximum internal diameter where the wall 6 meets the base21 of the rotor 4. The internal surface of the rotor 4 is free fromapertures.

A fibre feed duct 8 passes through the closure member and extendstowards the wall 6 of the rotor 4. A yarn delivery duct 9 also passesthrough the closure member 2, is co-axial with the axis of the spinningrotor 4 and terminates within the spinning rotor 4 in a frustocomicallyshaped flange 11 which forms a flared mouth 10 located below the levelof the open end of the rotor 4. Located within a recess 12 formed in theunderside of closure member 2, is an annular core member 13 whose lowersurface 14 is bevelled to form, with the upper surface 15 of the flange11, an annular passage 16 which terminates at a level below the open endof the rotor 4. The annular core member 13 is secured by screws one ofwhich is shown at 19 which pass through the collar 18 and the closuremember 2 into tapped holes provided in the core member 13. The directionof the annular passage 16 is generally downwards and radially outwardswith respect to the axis of the spinning rotor 4.

An air duct 17 communicates with the annular passage 16 and extendsthrough the closure member 2. The duct 17 and the yarn delivery duct 9are held by a collar 18 positioned on the top surface of the closuremember 2.

The interior of the chamber 1 is connected to suction means through asuction duct 20.

In operation, a suction pump connected to the suction duct 20 isactuated and evacuates the chamber 1 thus creating an airstream down thefibre conveying duct 8. Into this duct 8 fibres are delivered bysuitable opening means (not shown) and are conveyed in discrete mannerby the airstream toward the rotating spinning rotor 4. The fibres arecollected in the fibre collecting roove 7 and are picked up and twistedinto a tail end of spun yarn 26. The spun yarn 26 is withdrawn throughthe yarn delivery duct 9 to be wound up in the usual manner.

In addition to the air drawn into the interior of the rotor 4 throughthe fibre feed duct 8 and through the yarn delivery duct 9, air is alsodrawn into the rotor 4 through the air duct 17 and admitted into therotor 4 through the annular passage 16. The airstream as it emerges fromthe annular passage 16 is direcred generally radially outwards towardsthe wall 6 of the rotor. The airstream leaves the interior of the rotor4 through an annular gap 22 provided between the rotor rim 23 and thecylindrical depending portion 3 and is finally exhausted through thesuction duct 20. It has been found that a large portion of the debrisliberated from the fibres entering the spinning rotor 4 is entrained bythis airstream and is carried to the suction duct 20.

A second embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 2, parts common to theembodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 being given the same reference numerals andnot being described in detail. In this embodiment suction is applied tothe air duct 17 so that it draws air from the chamber 1 which hasentered through fibre feed duct 8 and yarn delivery duct 9.

The suction duct 20 provided in the wall of the chamber l of theembodiment described with reference to FIG. 1 is dispensed with. Thedebris liberated within the spinning rotor 4 is entrained in the airflow and is removed thereby from the chamber 1 through the air duct 17.

In both the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2,any debris which does become deposited in the fibre collecting groove 7is held in the groove 7 by the centrifugal force exerted by the rotatingrotor 4. During yarn formation, some of this debris is scooped up andentrained by the yarn 26 and is thus removed from the spinning groove 7and is then passes, in the formed yarn 26, to the edge 24 of the yarndelivery duct 9 formed by the conically shaped flange 11. In passingover this edge 24 the entrained debris is scraped from the yarn 26. Inboth embodiments of the invention described with reference to FIGS. 1and 2 the annular passage 16 opens within the rotor at a pointimmediately above the edge 24 of the yarn delivery duct 9 at theposition where the debris is scraped from the outgoing yarn 26.

In the FIG. 1 embodiment, the debris liberated from the yarn 26 isentrained by the air entering the rotor 4 and carried out of the rotor 4by the airstream to leave through the suction duct 20.

In the FIG. 2 embodiment the debris liberated from the yarn 26 isentrained in the airstream leaving the rotor 4 through the annularchannel 16 and is deposed of through the air duct 17.

In both the FIG. 1 embodiment and the FIG. 2 embodiment, the air duct 17is provided with an orifice plate 25 in order to control the amount ofair admitted to or exhausted from the rotor through this duct 17. Theorifice plate 25 can be replaced by orifice plates having apertures ofdifferent dimensions. Alternatively the orifice plate may be providedwith an adjustable aperture whose dimensions may be adjusted to controlthe amount of air exhausted from or admitted to the rotor 4 to suitvarying spinning conditions.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for the open end spinning of textile yarns comprising,

a spinning rotor which is open at one end,

a fibre collecting surface within the spinning rotor,

a cover member adjacent said open end of the spinning rotor,

at fibre feed duct for conveying fibres to said fibre collectingsurface,

a yarn delivery duct through which spun yarn is removed from thespinning rotor, and

an air passage extending through the cover for continuously withdrawingair from the interior of the spinning rotor during the spinningoperation, whereby air passes through the interior of the spinning rotorto remove debris therefrom.

2. Apparatus for the open-end spinning of yarns comprising,

a spinning rotor which is open at one end,

a fibre collecting surface within the spinning rotor,

a cover member adjacent said open end of the spinning rotor,

a fibre feed duct for conveying fibres to said fibre collecting surface,

a yarn delivery duct co-axial with the axis of the spinning rotor forremoving spun yarn from the spinning rotor and having an edge thereoflocated within the spinning rotor,

and an air passage extending through the cover and terminating adjacentthe edge of the yarn delivery duct for passing air continuously throughthe interior of the spinning rotor, whereby yarn entering the yarndelivery duct engages with the edge thereof to release debris entrainedin the yarn, which debris is removed by said air.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the yarn delivery duct passesthrough the cover member and terminates within the interior of thespinning rotor in a flared mouth.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the air passage is arranged topass air into the interior of the spinning rotor to remove debristherefrom.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the air passage terminateswithin the spinning rotor in an annular portion which surrounds and isco-axial with the yarn delivery duct, the entrance to said portion lyingadjacent said edge of the yarn delivery duct.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the entrance of the yarndelivery duct is substantially frustoconical, the air passage at saidterminal portion being defined by the outer surface of saidfrusto-conical flared entrance and a corresponding frusto-conicalsurface of the cover member whereby air passes through the interior ofthe spinning rotor in a substantially radial direction.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the cover member includes aremovable annular insert which surrounds said yarn delivery duct to formsaid annular portion of the air passage and includes a surface formingsaid corresponding frusto-conical surface.

8. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the air passage includesadjusting means whereby the passage of air through the interior of thespinning rotor may be varied.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said adjusting means comprisesan orifice plate of adjustable diameter.

1. Apparatus for the open end spinning of textile yarns comprising, aspinning rotor which is open at one end, a fibre collecting surfacewithin the spinning rotor, a cover member adjacent said open end of thespinning rotor, a fibre feed duct for conveying fibres to said fibrecollecting surface, a yarn delivery duct through which spun yarn isremoved from the spinning rotor, and an air passage extending throughthe cover for continuously withdrawing air from the interior of thespinning rotor during the spinning operation, whereby air passes throughthe interior of the spinning rotor to remove debris therefrom. 2.Apparatus for the open-end spinning of yarns comprising, a spinningrotor which is open at one end, a fibre collecting surface within thespinning rotor, a cover member adjacent said open end of the spinningrotor, a fibre feed duct for conveying fibres to said fibre collectingsurface, a yarn delivery duct co-axial with the axis of the spinningrotor for removing spun yarn from the spinning rotor and having an edgethereof located within the spinning rotor, and an air passage extendingthrough the cover and terminating adjacent the edge of the yarn deliveryduct for passing air continuously through the interior of the spinningrotor, whereby yarn entering the yarn delivery duct engages with theedge thereof to release debris entrained in the yarn, which debris isremoved by said air.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the yarndelivery duct passes through the cover member and terminates within theinterior of the spinning rotor in a flared mouth.
 4. Apparatus accordingto claim 2 wherein the air passage is arranged to pass air into theinterior of the spinninG rotor to remove debris therefrom.
 5. Apparatusaccording to claim 2 wherein the air passage terminates within thespinning rotor in an annular portion which surrounds and is co-axialwith the yarn delivery duct, the entrance to said portion lying adjacentsaid edge of the yarn delivery duct.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5wherein the entrance of the yarn delivery duct is substantiallyfrusto-conical, the air passage at said terminal portion being definedby the outer surface of said frusto-conical flared entrance and acorresponding frusto-conical surface of the cover member whereby airpasses through the interior of the spinning rotor in a substantiallyradial direction.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the covermember includes a removable annular insert which surrounds said yarndelivery duct to form said annular portion of the air passage andincludes a surface forming said corresponding frusto-conical surface. 8.Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the air passage includesadjusting means whereby the passage of air through the interior of thespinning rotor may be varied.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 whereinsaid adjusting means comprises an orifice plate of adjustable diameter.